Is Jalen Smith starting?
Jalen Smith is the projected starter at WR-X for Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Redshirt sophomore · #8 · 6'1", 210 lbs
See full Minnesota Golden Gophers depth chart ›Depth at WR-X · Minnesota Golden Gophers
- 1877Jalen SmithStarter
- 2771Bradley Martino
Minnesota Starting Lineup
- QB
- RB
- WR-XJalen SmithThis player
- WR-Z
- WR-SL
- TE
- LT
- LG
- C
- RG
- RT
Top wide receivers in the Big Ten
The Story
Making His Case
A 3-star recruit out of Mankato West, ranked #801 nationally coming out of high school. In 2025: 28 catches, 419 yards, 4 TD. That's 17% of the team's production at his spot and 83th-percentile production nationally — good for a 77 overall (Solid tier).
- Jersey
- #8
- Class
- RS SO
- Height
- 6'1"
- Weight
- 210 lbs
2025 Stats
| Season | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | 419 | 4 |
Regular-season totals from public sources. Derived splits (completion %, yards per carry, catch rate) aren't available in our current dataset.
Recruiting Profile
- Stars
- ★★★☆☆3-star
- Composite
- 0.8739
- National Rank
- #801
- High School
- Mankato West
- Hometown
- Mankato, MN
Why this rating?
On a 72-rated offense; 83th-percentile production (×0.94 for competition level) put them +5 vs unit starters → 77.
2026 projection — based on SP+ (a respected team-efficiency metric; 2026 not published yet, using 2025), 2025 production, recruiting, and the 2026 transfer portal; capped to depth-chart order.
2026 Game Log
Oct 11LPURYDS 89
- REC
- 3
- YDS
- 89
- AVG
- 29.7
- TD
- 1
Final L 41-13
Sep 27WWASHYDS 17
- REC
- 2
- YDS
- 17
- AVG
- 8.5
- TD
- 1
Final W 27-24
Sep 19WAKRYDS 27
- REC
- 2
- YDS
- 27
- AVG
- 13.5
- TD
- 1
Final W 41-7
Sep 12LMSSTYDS 51
- REC
- 5
- YDS
- 51
- AVG
- 10.2
- TD
- 0
Final L 38-13
Sep 4WEIUYDS 26
- REC
- 3
- YDS
- 26
- AVG
- 8.7
- TD
- 0
Final W 59-7
| OPP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11 | LPUR | 3 | 89 | 29.7 | 1 |
| Sep 27 | WWASH | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Sep 19 | WAKR | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 1 |
| Sep 12 | LMSST | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 0 |
| Sep 4 | WEIU | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 |
Jalen Smith's 2026 game-by-game stat log.
The People's Ratings
Team Role
Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.